Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival
Located at the Blues Ranch on the Methow River in the resort town of Winthrop, Washington, the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival is a three-day event packed full of exciting national and regional entertainment for all ages. There is on-site camping, food and craft vendors, portable showers, and a beer garden. The Blues Ranch is the perfect setting for one of Washington’s finest music festivals. The Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival is the largest and longest running blues festival in the state of Washington. Over eighty thousand people have attended this event in the past thirty-plus years. Past festivals have featured such national artists as Galactic, North Mississippi Allstars, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys, Samantha Fish, Marc Broussard, The California Honeydrops, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Johnny Winter, Royal Southern Brotherhood featuring Cyril Neville and Devon Allman, Allen Stone, The Holmes Brothers, Roy Rogers, Janiva Magness, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Jimmie Vaughan, Booker T., Commander Cody, Little Feat, Mavis Staples, Bo Diddley, JJ Cale with Christine Lakeland, Bobby Rush, Susan Tedeschi, Koko Taylor, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tower of Power, Delbert McClinton, Elvin Bishop, Little Milton, Tommy Castro, Eric Burdon, Chubby Carrier, Charlie Musselwhite, The Blasters, Buckwheat Zydeco, Too Slim & the Taildraggers, James Harman and many others. The festival has rightfully become a destination event with fans traveling from all over the world to enjoy and celebrate the Blues.
WINTHROP MUSIC ASSOCIATION
The Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival is brought to you by Winthrop Music Association (WMA), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed in 2005 whose mission is to BUILD COMMUNITY THROUGH MUSIC. We believe that music is a catalyst for joy, connection, and healing. Our vision is to offer audiences, musicians, volunteers, and staff a profound and unique experience of diverse world-class music, community, and natural beauty;
and for the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival and the Winthrop Music Association
to be vital partners in creating and sustaining a vibrant cultural and economic ecosystem in the Methow Valley.
We look forward to another great year and hope to see YOU at the next Annual Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival!!
The WMA Board currently includes:
- Rick Northcott, president
- Sarah Jo Lightner, vice-president
- Dave Swenson, treasurer
- Peter Dammann, secretary
- Don Ashford
- Jimmy Smith
- Bart Northcott
- Matt Pratt
- Erika Olsen, ex-officio
PRIVACY POLICY
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Winthrop Music Association Giving
This summer, the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival once again proved that music builds community. Thanks to the generosity of festival-goers, sponsors, and volunteers, the Winthrop Music Association — the nonprofit that produces the festival — is proud to give back to the Methow Valley and beyond.
In 2025, grants were distributed to:
- $5,000 – The Cove Food Bank
- $3,000 – Methow Valley School District Music Program
- $5,000 – Liberty Bell High School Booster Program
- $1,000 – Room One
- $1,000 – Tommy Zbyszewski Methow Valley Education Foundation Scholarship
- $750 – Washington Blues Society Musician Relief Program
“The Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival is more than just a music celebration,” said the WMA Board of Directors. “It’s a gathering rooted in community, culture, and connection. Through the generosity of our attendees, volunteers, and sponsors, we are honored to give back to the Methow Valley and beyond.”
Together, we’ve donated over $130,000 since 2005 — and that number continues to grow. Thank you for helping us keep the blues alive while investing in our community.
Gratitude to our Partners and Volunteers: The success of the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners and the dedication of our volunteers. Their contributions and hard work were instrumental in making this year’s event a resounding success. Thank you to all our partners!. Please consider visiting these businesses when in the area:
